Deric Bownds

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2561 )

• Psychological Distance Enhances Conformity to Group Norms.

  In yet another of one of those studies that give what would appear to be a generally applicable result, but is based on experiments carried out on two rather... Read more

  Posted on 14 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Zero Effect of Caloric Restriction on Lifespan

  I would be very surprised if there were any blog readers who are unaware of this material, released two weeks ago with saturation coverage by the popular... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Cognitive Load Disrupts Implicit Theory of Mind Processing.

  I'm passing this on because I was totally unaware of the implicit theory of mind (TOM) system that is explained in these clips from the article by Schneider et... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Why the Sex Gap in Affective Disorders?

  Here is an abstract from Hu et al., which I pass on to you even though it is rather technical, that shows that an increase in negative affective behavior in... Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Investing in Karma - When Wanting Promotes Helping

  An interesting piece from Converse et al. provides reliable evidence that people do good deeds when they want something beyond their control. Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Alcohol and Group Formation.

  Sayette et al. do what looks like a thorough piece of work, but I also have a "Duh...tell us something else we didn't already know" kind of reaction. Read more

  Posted on 07 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Where Thinking About Thinking Happens in the Brain.

  We evaluate and alter the cognitive functions we perform, as when we revise or edit our writing or speaking. This monitoring and controlling is usually... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• The Unimaginable Complexity of Our Evolved Human Systems.

  In the face of all the current hubris about redesigning and engineering humans using modern genetic and biochemical tools, trying to reverse engineer brain... Read more

  Posted on 05 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Mapping Discrete and Dimensional Emotions onto the Brain.

  

  Here I am passing on the abstract and one summary figure from a useful recent review article by Stephan Hamann: A longstanding controversy in the field of... Read more

  Posted on 04 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• How Childhood Musical Training Shapes the Adult Brain.

  From Skoe and Kraus: Playing a musical instrument changes the anatomy and function of the brain. But do these changes persist after music training stops? Read more

  Posted on 03 September 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Scientific Basis of a Psychotherapy.

  I've been wanting to pass on elements of a nice essay written by Eric Kandel for last year's Edge question, which describes Aaron Beck's development of cognitiv... Read more

  Posted on 31 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Freud, the Tea Party, and Deluded Individualism.

  A nice piece by DeBrabander in The Stone forum on the NYTimes has an interesting take on how it is that stalwart red state tea party supporters who admit they... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• The Quotable Gore Vidal.

  I just can't resist passing on these wonderful quotes from Gore Vidal, from the PBS website: 1. “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” 2. “Style is... Read more

  Posted on 29 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Effect of Early Institutionalization on Brain Development.

  Sheridan et al. do further studies on the effects of Rumanian institutionalization of children, finding some reversibility its deleterious effects. Read more

  Posted on 28 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• The Mis-use of Science: PseudoNeuroscience Sways Judges' Sentencing.

  One sees frequent discussions in neuroscience journals (like this one in Trends in Cognitive Sciences) over whether, and to what extent, neuroscience should... Read more

  Posted on 27 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Reconstructing Intolerance.

  Luguri et al. in the Yale psychology department relate the tolerance of conservatives to whether their construal level is more abstract versus concrete. Read more

  Posted on 24 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• A Musical Offering - Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse

  I have finally done a recording of the Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse that I did at a house concert several months ago, deciding to post this run through on my... Read more

  Posted on 23 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Nocebo Effect - the Harm Expectations Can Do.

  A piece by Enck and Häuser in the NYTimes summarizes (and links to) their paper in Deutsche Ärzteblatt Internationa reviewing 31 studies on how fearful... Read more

  Posted on 22 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Simple Mechanisms Can Generate Wealth Inequality.

  

  The Chaos Seminar lunch group at the University of Wisconsin, organized by physicist Clint Sprott and poet Robin Chapman, has been doing a discussion of power... Read more

  Posted on 21 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• The Anxious Idiot

  Following in the vein of last Friday's self-helpy post I thought I would note Daniel Smith's quirky Op-Ed piece in the NYTimes about his chronic anxiety, his... Read more

  Posted on 20 August 2012 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE